So there are very few things I'm
nostalgic about. (btw, here's a definition for nostalgia, I don't think I
actually learned what it meant until college... "a sentimental longing or
wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy
personal associations.") I am nostalgic about my granny's
old house in Mississippi, my parent's house in Ft. Lauderdale, the
smell of an afternoon rain coming (doesn't happen a lot in TN) to name a few. Smell is the fastest
sense to register a memory. Before you even realize the memory bubbling
up from your brain was triggered by the scent you're in it.
Anyway, what made me think of this were
my headphones. Why? Earwax. Just kidding. Over the
summer (2013) Shayla borrowed my headphones all summer to use at work. No
big deal really, nothing special. Except Shayla is a trooper and
worked outdoor maintenance... in the summer... in Florida. Naturally
the headphones now smell like sunscreen and sweat. I used to grudgingly
hug her whenever she came by my door for lunch or just to say hi. But now
that I pull these headphones out of their little trendy (but handy) apple case
they unlock a time capsule of memories. I was pulling these
headphones out at Starbucks, and Shayla, sitting across from me, thinks I'm
studying. But, for a few moments, I am remembering little sweaty Shayla
from 18 months ago, smiling, and wanting nothing more than a hug. Life
gets busy, Spring semester is always worse than the Fall... Stop and enjoy some
nostalgia from time to time and hey, give a sweaty person a hug.
Alright, back to this school junk.
Alright, back to this school junk.
